Electric dental instrument



(No Model.)

F. VERNETTE. ELECTRIC DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 409,437. Patented Aug. 20; 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

FRED VERNETTE, OF I'IANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,437, dated August 20, 1889.

Application filed June 18, 1889. Serial No. 314,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED VERNETTE, of Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Dental Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved instrument specially adapted for the use of dentists and serving to remove the pain incident to the extraction of teeth.

The invention consists of buttons adapted to be pressed on the human face in the immediate neighborhood of the tooth to be extracted and of a battery connected with the said buttons.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement with parts broken out. Fig. 2 is an inner edge view of one of the prongs. Fig. 3 is a like view of the other prong, and Fig. 4c is an outer edge view of the upper end of one of the prongs.

The improved instrument A is provided with the two curved prongs B and O, pivotally connected with each other at D and provided with the straight arms B and C, serving as handles and between the prongs and surrounding the pivot are placed an insulating washer and tube (Z and (1, respectively. Into the arm C screws a screw-rod E, passing through a slot B in the arm B. A knob E is secured on the screw-rod E and rests against the arm B serving to turn the said screw-rod E to open and close the outer ends of the prongs B and 0. Each of the prongs or arms B and O is provided on its outer end with a transverse bar F, on which are held buttons G and H, of which the button G is rigidly secured to the bar F, while the button II is provided with a nut I, screwing on the threaded part J of the bar F. (See Fig. 4.) By making the button H adjustable the two buttons G and II may be brought nearer together or farther apart. The prongs B and C are connected with the wires K and K, leading to an electric battery of any approved construction.

The operation is as follows: The instrument is used on the human face, the buttons being placed over the nerves leading from the teeth tothe brain, and pressure is exerted against the nerves by the buttons by screwing on the knob E of the rod E, so as to press the prongs B and 0 toward each other. In use the instrument is applied from behind, and one button G or II on one prong is placed on the temple, while the other button rests on the joint of the jaw. The other prong is similarly applied to the other side of the face. Pressure is now exerted by the operator turning the'screw-rod E, so as to press the buttons firmly in contact with the parts mentioned. The electricity from the battery passes through the wires K and K, the prongs B and O to the buttons, and to the nerves pressed by the buttons, so that the pain produced by extracting the tooth is removed. Instead of connecting the two wires K and K with the prongs B and C only one wire may be connected to one of the prongs and the other wire be connected with the instrument used for extracting the tooth. A circuit is established the moment the tooth-extracting instrument touches the tooth to be removed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A dental instrument comprising adj ustable prongs pivotally connected at their lower portions and connected with an electrical battery at their upper portions, and buttons held on the said prongs, substantially as shown and described.

2. A dental instrument comprising adjustable prongs connected with an electrical battery and buttons held on the said prongs, and

means, substantially as described, for adjusting said prongs so as to press the buttons with more or less force against the human face on Which-the instrument is to be applied, as set forth.

3. A dental instrument comprising pivoted IOO prongs, a screw for adjusting said prongs, and and the other laterally adjustable to increase buttons held on the outer end of the said or diminish the distance between the two prongs, substantially as shown and described. buttons, substantially as shown and described. r0

4:. Adental instrument comprising pivoted FRED VERNETTE. 5 prongs, a screw for adjusting said prongs, Vitnesses:

buttons held on the outer ends of the said ADAM THEIs, prongs, one of the said buttons being fixed J. B. CHEsLEY. 

